WEBSTER'S DEMAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 641, 19 October 1909, Page 7

WEBSTER'S DEMAND.

VISIT TO ORIGINAL CLAIMANT. EVIDENCE FOE HOUSE COMMONS. An interesting account of Mr. W. Webster, whoso historic claims for.half a million pounds in respect of lands in the Coromandel dietriot, has been engaging tlio attention of the British, American, and New Zealand Governments, is given in : Mr.. It. :G... Jameson's ' book,. "New. Zealand, South Australia, and New South' Wales," published in 1542. The book is a record of travel in these colonies.'.,"''. ■ '■'■■ "It was towards dusk," wiites Mr. Jameson, "and after a long and hard contest with wind ond tide, in crossing in'an open boat from Wyheke to Coromandel Harbour, that we' first beheld the cheering aepeot of Mr." Webster's settlement. This pereon has resided (here for eight, oi' ten years, and has, by dint of industry and pereeverance, risen from the grade of ,a ship's carpenter to the ownership of one of the principal establishments' in Now Zealand. Ilaving , become a great favourite with the [Natives of, the'district, he, has always been able to command a sufficiency of-that element of all colonial success, labour." It has thus been' in his. power to supply, with much profit to himself, many cargoes of spars for the. AdImralty and the; Australian settlements. Besides the eongs. of 'boys' (as the New Zealandevs.of all ages call themselves when in , 'the service of Europeans), whom ho employed in dragging out timber, he kept in'constant employment from,fifteen.to twenty : '.Europein''ar- , tisans, such'as sairyors, boat and shipbuilders. , port and fish curers, coopers, blacksmiths, and carpenters.'.To this I will add , that-he possessce_the true , spirit of colonial hospitaHty, and that, on the wild shores of Shburaki (i.e., Uauraki), we enjoyed under his roof all the fubstMitml comforts of a European home. - , Iho greatest difficulty, that" Mv. Webster had to contend against; consisted in': the rook- , ' less and disorderly .conduct of the Europeans in his employment, some of whom, were ■ the most persevering, drunkards that it' has-'ever been my fate to enctunter. Their wages were f° OA j ■ ">« m s' Y \ '<»'«^- : enriivfr6m'>lSsi to 20s. n day, if sufficiently/robust and hardv but for several days'during tlio wcek,,these people wero incapable of working. To W e withheld spirits from them, would at once have, determined them to-seek'another em■plover consequently , -he'.wns absolutely compelled to have in:his establishment a supply of rum, and to .pay his people a great portion of V," 1 w K N f tlv "i.' a , n .f EQropcan' dopendente of Mr..Webster inhabited a number-of huts, conSSJS. 5 R J" 0 ? 1 ' ,1 "^"l^ , Around the ' J 0 sec ?.toongst: groups of dogs, '^mIk 7 a ? d , v tP ■»/■ »W'ises, a'. Mnsidtraßle number of-half-caste, children, full of/health «nfllmf l' :rhe of the .several gentlemen here assembled were various. It may seem strango that people should.seok for ' amusement man infant colony; but for the timo being tho prooetdings of individuals were paralysed by the ,mookfld-for and strdnge do: oisionsof-the Legislative / Counoil of New South Wales; amusement - was therefore' ■ the■ themselves in' shooting pigeons--in -the neighh?,Tff WO °T fis£in 5- others in buildmg boats.. -J.' devoted a good deal of my time to rambling a ong tho shores, which prcVn "d Eomo romarkable geological appearances?' •-. ■■ ' A Committee's Inquiries.. '■';■'

There: is a brief reference to Mr. Webster's fc'"!-!'^"! ,I '*' committee of inl,v? g if h ,? ous « °f-Ppuunoris 'dppoiuted to'-, inquire into the statements contained in a petition of merchants, bankers, -.and-Zshipowners. ,tion of New ZealandL .The data of the report of Ihf "I 'i l w°' ■' L,e » Blackett; of tho y ßoyal Navy, gave evidence. Hβ. was wamiMd.'by Mr. Haw«, a-member of the thfnffin- ahe , followiu g we extracts from tne omcial .report — "a ''" r -, Ha,reS! D«ing the last two years have' a great many persons been 'acquirine land is ,New/ ZealandP-Within the- last year and a half, a great many. . ' / .-•..- "Mostly : Englishmen F-Moatly Englishmenr and a very fen-Americans. - l Jjj >' ou 'J™ l, at any purchase of ?>?m Brent nwuber m the Kiver Thames ■ »lio was the purchaser in that case?-He was an Englishman, Mr. Webster. - ui i • j did Mr. Webster give ?- All kinds_ of olothing and slop clothing, iron pots, double-barrelled guns and blankets, niuskets and gunpowder. .-■■•■■■ / Further Official Rofercnces. ■"

: A return was published by tho New Zealand Government to 18«,;'showing the whole ofthe cases hoard by the. original Land Gommission--ere, and the nature .o?. their- awards in each case, also the decisira of the Governor, and how the claim was originally disposed of. In this document there aro references So several claims teS^cKfS^nf l^ Ste|^ :^e^l.fe a^d^o s iS O, Sy OT SIe C STW^e^neU^ f«;)a^^fendirS Jμ bo f n ?j icc ?r thnt a , ■""to" s beforb'tho I? wiirf. J :he ' I T? us , e . S f Cowmous referred Webster, aj an Englishman. In tho New Zealand report just quoted there is the follow. ISrSSftT 18 '^- Ur - Webster wm Vrii?m • b y, d .'rectionof Governor Hobson to toow if. his olaims were to bo investigated as a Bntish or an American subject,.as in tho formor all claims would; be referred immediately to the commissioners, but in tho latter thev must depend upon tho decision that would be iffT lat b y S oth Qoverninonts. To this Mr Webster.replied, October! 3, 1841, that hj wishod his claims to be laid beforo tho commissioner and to take his chance with all others, by which it would appear that ho was not an American subject." ■ In a list of land claimants showing the num. ber of grants and tho extent of land, or tho amount of scrip credit in lieu therefor granted o each, the name of. \\. Wobster appfars Y, hating been granted 13,080 acres.